The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 20, 1986
Filed:
Sep. 12, 1983
Terrance L Lillie, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Pitney Bowes Inc., Stamford, CT (US);
Abstract
A data processing system including a method and apparatus for controlling software configurations. A plurality of software programs and routines are stored in a mass storage device. Which software accessed by the system is controlled by non-volatile information stored in the system. The system also includes a portable media storage device, such as a floppy disk drive, and fixed information which loads a preselected portion of the portable media into the system. Two portable media are also provided. The preselected portion of the first portable media contains a bootstrap program which loads an operating system into the system. The preselected portion of the second portable media contains a program for altering the non-volatile information stored in the system so as to change the software configuration which may be accessed by the system. The program then erases the preselected portion of the second portable media after execution. In a preferred embodiment, the program also includes a counter containing a preselected number which is decremented after each time the program is executed and the program does not erase the preselected region until the counter reaches zero.